Arabella

Arabella was in excellent condition, and despite playing on a windy day it was a fair challenge. There had been numerous changes, all sensible ones, to the course since my last visit, and these have improved the overall golfing experience and playability.

Arabella continues to set a high benchmark for conditioning. It is starting to rival the Fancourt courses for a perennially high standard. Bunkers are world class and an example to other courses not as exposed to wind and rain to the extent that Arabella is. Golf director Mike Munro and course superintendent Derick Bolton make a good team. The new tee boxes Arabella have built on the tough par-4 fourth allow more of the hole to be seen from the tee box as opposed to the somewhat awkward alignment from the old tees. Great innovation that makes for an improved golf experience.

Arabella has some of the most attractive bunkers in SA golf. They frame holes quite beautifully, notably on the par 5s where they also can punish stray shots. There are 13 bunkers on the 13th, a par 5 which has grown in my estimation thanks to the proliferation of white-faced bunkers flanking the fairway. I love the importance of the tee shot here, and how the ideal drive must flirt with the water down the right. The par 5s are all exceptional holes, each very different in their design variety. And they are holes where an indifferent tee shot will immediately put you on the back foot and struggling to make par. Course designer Peter Matkovich is fond of a challenging par-5 18th and the one at Arabella fits the bill in all respects. Great finale to the round.

Arabella was in great condition as it most often is. The course set up was challenging and added to this was a 5-club wind on the day, which brings hazards into play that normally wouldn't be part of the consideration. The course is a visual feast.

Playing the par-5 second hole at Arabella I was curious about a striped marker pole in the fairway that hadn't been there on a previous visit. They usually indicate direction of play on blind shots, but No 2 is straight with the green in sight from the tee. And this pole wasn't in the middle of the fairway, but off to the left next to a fairway bunker. What was its purpose? Two more poles appeared on the back nine, at 12 and 16, this time to the right hand side of the fairway. And on all three holes relatively tall wild pear trees had been planted close to the tee. Golf director Mike Munro revealed this is the outcome of a health and safety project conducted earlier this year to minimise the number of golf balls struck off tees into Arabella residences. A "strike triangle" calculation on every hole shows which estate course homes are vulnerable to off-line golf balls and then determines their level of protection. Arabella identified only three holes where there was a risk of endangered homes, and the poles and trees are positioned to try and prevent that. Golfers are encouraged to aim for the poles, and the trees are placed strategically to prevent tee shots being struck towards houses. Arabella home owners are also asked to report each and every golf ball that lands in their properties. Good to see such proactive measures being taken.

A treat to get the opportunity to play Arabella and the experience is always one to remember. Great layout and a good mix of holes offering a variety of shot options. The course was in excellent condition and the greens as good as I have seen.

The course is in outstanding condition and thoroughly deserves to be in SA's top 10.

Arabella has had a busy festive season, with both the resort hotel and golf course filled to capacity. Interesting to learn that the course was open for a limited number of golfers on Xmas Day. Could more courses do the same? Thanks to some rainy weather in December the course is looking exceptional, and it always presents a stunning visual treat, even more so following a successful bunker renovation programme in 2021. They do look magnificent and the white sand has particularly enhanced holes which needed more definition, such as the par-5 13th looking up towards the green. This is a key hole on the back nine in terms of the drive. A bold line off the tee over the edge of the water hazard sets up a birdie opportunity. The putting surfaces are deceptively quick and tricky to read. Local knowledge helps around the greens.

Arabella is looking fantastic following 6 months of work: A mid-September intense hollow-tining, scarifying and verti-cutting. Reshaping the 11th with two visible and nicely defined new bunkers and "forcing" the hole into being an even tougher dogleg. Reshaping many bunkers and changing the sand in all 60. Rebuilding and improving the greenside bunkers on 8 & 17. Reshaping all the tee boxes into "circles," which look great. A new first cut of rough, now clearly defined and a classy addition to the course.

Arabella is in great condition and the management is continuously improving on an already magnificent facility. The visual change to the bunkers on the 11th frames the hole much better and the redoing of all the bunkers on the course adds to playing consistency and improves on the aesthetics.

Arabella is in prime condition and playing beautifully. Fairways and greens in great shape. The recent makeover of the bunkers is looking fantastic.

The Arabella course has been fantastically looked after and the changes have been excellent. The conditioning is fantastic and worthy of a top 5 layout.

The perfect golf course. Friendly people all around.

The Memorability of all the holes is just one of the amazing features of Arabella.

Arabella is looking magnificent. The golf course has benefited from a significant bunker upgrade during the winter months under greenkeeper Derick Bolton who has served Arabella so loyally since it opened 22 years ago. New sand in all 72 bunkers, and some elegant reshaping, has noticeably boosted the already attractive Aesthetics of the resort layout. The dazzling white bunker faces give many holes extra definition and sparkle viewing from the tee box, notably on the uphill tenth. The 11th has two prominent new bunkers on the right of the fairway which vastly improve the profile of a good par 4 that previously had a weak outlook from the tee. The greens are simply outstanding. And I welcome the construction of a simple starter's hut at the first hole. An essential requirement for a resort facility, being both an attractive feature and shelter for the starter.

Always a treat to play a great layout that is exceptionally well conditioned. Arabella has stunning design variety and a high memorability factor. The team there under Mike Munro have excelled.

A beautiful finish to each nine which leaves a lasting impression.

Arabella has come of age this year, celebrating its 21st anniversary, and it continues to sparkle as one of our premier golf resorts. One of its most endearing features to me is the ease of access for golfers staying in the hotel, which is now part of the Tsogo Sun group. The clubhouse is on the ground floor, and the first tee a short walk away. It's a golf course with many strong holes, yet the playability of the layout is exactly what you want from a resort experience. Riding golf carts, our fourball went round all 18 holes in just under four hours, even with the occasional hunt for stray golf balls. The scenic finishing holes on each nine, each unique in their design, are stunning, and they elevate Arabella into a special category of golf course. Currently the conditioning is right up there with the best I've seen at Arabella, and the greens can only get better now that hollow-tining is over.

The course looked wonderful with all the spring flowers. Recent hollow-tining of the greens didn't spoil the round. I was impressed with the bunkering changes on Nos 4, 10, 13, 15 and 18. Not just aesthetically appealing but making these holes more playable, especially the new bunkering left of the 18th green. Thanks to my playing partners, Albert, Enslin and Sneaky Pete, who made the afternoon more fun than I expected!

Course in excellent condition, lots of attention to detail. Greens are brilliant, smooth, true and run at 10.5 on the stimp. Fairways are like carpets. A must play ?️? Well done Arabella .

It is an absolute pleasure to play Arabella. It is often a windy course, making the length even more challenging. The greens, fringes and bunkers are as good as you will get in the Cape. There are several memorable holes; the par-5 eighth coming down a steep hill; the par-3 17th alongside the lagoon; and a great risk-reward finishing hole. I would wager Arabella has the best set of par-3s of any course west of Fancourt. On the downside, service is perennially poor, the bar expensive and limited.

We played Arabella on a beautiful afternoon and the conditioning was superb. The presentation was world class, worthy of its Top 10 ranking. What's impressive is the variety of shot-making from the varied tees. Some of the tees were set back, making for long carries. From shorter tees it was still a challenge. Arabella holds firm in my personal Top 10. A credit to the crew at a stunning course!